Chicago Politics

Update From City Hall 4.16.25

Chapters

Description

Mayor Johnson hosts a media availability.

Transcript

0:00 and the former executive director of Little Village Environmental Justice Organization, Kim Wazerman. In today's city council meeting, my administration took a major step forward for a more resilient Chicago. And we did that through the introduction of the Hazel Johnson Cumulative Impact Ordinance, named in honor of the mother of environmental justice, the late Hazel Johnson. This ordinance honors her work as an organizer against environmental racism, helping to protect communities of color, which are statistically more likely to be exposed to pollution.

0:41 Chicago has a long history as a manufacturing hub, but unfortunately that strength has at times come at the cost of residents' health. Through the Hazel Johnson Cumulative Impact Ordinance, we are committing ourselves to build a more sustainable and a more thoughtful ordinance that ensures that our zoning policies help protect all Chicagoans from excessive pollution. This ordinance seeks to strengthen environmental protection in our communities by doing the following things,

1:17 creating a new position in the Department of Environment, creating an Environmental Justice Advisory Board, requiring applicants seeking a zoning permit for heavy industrial land uses to conduct a cumulative impact study. And also it requires an additional zoning review to ensure any project can safely move forward. This ordinance allows room for businesses to continue opening and flourishing in our city. It allows for the creation of jobs

1:49 and, of course, to continue the vibrant economy that we have come to continue to push, while also supporting healthier conditions in our communities. I do want to thank all of the alders who introduced this ordinance alongside of me, Alders Ramirez, Lasfada, Sigcho Lopez, and Rodriguez Sanchez in Haddon. I look forward to passing this ordinance and advancing environmental justice for all of our people. Today, we also took a step forward in our mission to cut the tape and expedite building

2:22 and development in our communities with the passage of DPD's Right of Entry Authority Ordinance. This authorizes the issuance of non-invasive right of entry agreements, meaning that DPD can sell vacant land more quickly and bring in revenues for our city more quickly. Developers will be able to access the land they purchase from the city within days after purchase rather than waiting months for 2FM to provide authorization.

2:55 We are making steady progress to dismantle cumbersome processes and, of course, the bureaucracy that has held up development and unfortunately have held our communities back. Cut the tape is a key way that my administration is working to deliver results for businesses, developers, and especially working people. Finally, today we passed the Tow Truck Ordinance, which we have been working on this in collaboration with Alderman Villegas for the past year.

3:25 This is part of our broader effort to crack down on businesses and landlords who attempt to scam the working people of Chicago. We already took down one of the, if not the worst, landlords in Chicago, bringing 800 properties back to our people. Our Department of Law, through the newly formed Special Collections Unit, dropped the hammer on that landlord and thereby sent a message to every landlord and property owner in the city. Utilizing the space that you have for the benefit of your own motivations and not for the benefit of our communities, we have made it very clear that we will remove you out of the way of any of those efforts that do not benefit our city.

4:11 The ordinance passed today sends a similar message to predatory tow truck companies that prey on Chicagoans who've been involved in car accidents. They exploit these folks, and we're often in a state of shock, and the way they shake them down for money is reprehensible. We will not tolerate that in the city of Chicago, and I'm grateful to Alderman Villegas and our council for helping to protect our working people and the families that we all cherish. And lastly, I want to acknowledge that in today's meeting, Chicago moved decisively to ensure that those who attempted to overthrow our democracy on January 6th will not be employed by the taxpayers of Chicago.

4:52 This ordinance is a testament to our city's values and our city's commitment to democracy. Democracy is not just a principle. in Chicago. We live it, we uphold it, and we protect it. From our 77 vibrant communities to the halls of our government, Chicago will be led by people who believe in freedom, equality, and justice. Thank you all very much. With that, we'll take your questions. We want to give our guests a chance to sit down before we start.

5:24 Testing? Alright, cool. We'll start with Craig. Good afternoon, Mayor. We've had a lot of conversations in the last couple of weeks about changes to the curfew that have been proposed alderman hopkins is now proposing a revised one that gives police the situational authority to impose curfews wherever whenever if there's a problem um what is your thoughts your initial thoughts on this proposal is this something that you could get behind is this something you think could give police the tools they need

5:55 and residents wherever the feeling of safety that they want well this is really the it's the benefit of bringing people together as I promised all stakeholders get to play a part in the direction of our city and with my direction proposals have been placed on the table and we'll continue to explore and dig into those proposals but what's most important is as I've said from the very beginning we cannot just shift the problem into a different neighborhood and we

6:28 We have to make sure that we are creating spaces for accountability and opportunities. It's a holistic approach, and this is clearly the step in the right direction as more voices and stakeholders get to play a part in the development of a solution. He says he has 31 Alders signed on to support this. I guess, have you seen the ordinance? Have you had a chance to read it, and do you think there needs to be tweaks to it to make it something that you could be behind? There has to be ongoing conversations, right, because all stakeholders get to play a part in the direction of how we create accountability and safety.

7:02 Look, nothing's more important to me as the mayor of the city of Chicago than the overall safety of all of our residents. And so that's why this is yet another example of all voices coming together to put forth ideas so that we can come to a reasonable solution that works for everyone, that is something that we can implement citywide. Hi, Mayor. Thanks for being here. Again, also on the curfew, Alderman Vasquez raised questions over how police would differentiate between a protest and a reckless or criminal gathering.

7:36 Can you tell me about any conversations that you've had about how to define that more clearly? Well, that's why I stated from the very beginning to your colleague's question, why there's still ongoing conversations. Again, making sure that we have accountability as well as opportunities, but also making sure, as I said Tuesday, I believe, that there are certain aspects of these proposals that do have to go through deeper vetting. And that's what this more encouraged collaborative approach is ultimately working to get to get at.

8:09 OK. And I'm curious, too, you know, the federal government has cracked down on a lot of pro-Palestinian protesters or pro-Palestinian students. What concerns do you have that an ordinance like this could be used to also retaliate or, I guess, penalize pro-Palestinian protesters in any way? Well, we fundamentally believe that all of our amendments have to be secured and protected, right? The freedom to be able to offer up speech and protest is something that I'm very much tethered to, right?

8:47 The protest and the ability to peacefully assemble is why our democracy has evolved. Now, there are obviously threats that you are speaking to to undermine our democracy. There is an entire table of stakeholders that are working through all aspects of the proposal. The ultimate goal is to make sure that we have a space where, you know, we have spaces all over the city of Chicago where young people can gather and others

9:19 while also making sure that if people step outside of the bounds of sensibility and safety that they will be held accountable. Hi, Mayor. Your proposal to create a nonprofit housing developer didn't make it through a joint session of the housing and finance committees today. Why do you think Alder people have so many questions about your administration's ability to operate this program above board and, you know, taking good care of taxpayer dollars?

9:49 Yeah, I don't know if there's a concern about whether or not we can do it above board. This is new, right? You know, this has been a part of my platform well before I was sworn as... as mayor, sworn in as mayor, and we've obviously proven that we can build more affordable homes. We're doing that at a pace that is representative of the need, right? And so what you saw today is yet another commitment by my administration to make sure that concerns or ideas are all brought into the discussion.

10:22 And, you know, that's the way our democracy works. That's certainly something that I value. So I don't think it's a matter of whether or not we can operate something. It's more or less, you know, how do we implement something that is new? And that's what my administration has been very much focused on leading in a way that is, you know, obviously very democratic and transparent, but also making sure that the people who need affordability today, that they don't have to wait too much longer for that to come to fruition. Speaking of people having to wait a little bit long,

10:54 This cumulative impact ordinance that was introduced today but then sent to rules has been in development since you took office and even before you took office. What specifically made it so challenging to get it to this point? And are you confident that it will protect black and Latino Chicagoans living on the south and southeast sides from experiencing more than their fair share of pollution? Well, look, thank you for lifting up that last aspect. You know, we wouldn't be moving forward with this broad coalition and the daughter of the mother of the environmental movement if we didn't have confidence.

11:30 Now, look, you know, can you erase decades and decades of historic racism, particularly environmental racism, overnight? Of course you can't do that. Does this put us in a stronger position to be able to do that? It does. But it also encourages businesses to do right as well. This is not about government just simply wagging its finger at businesses. This is an opportunity to encourage businesses to make sure that their drive to build our economy cannot come at the expense of the health of people.

12:00 And so, you know, I don't know if Commissioner Tovar wants to weigh in on this, but in terms of just the length of time, if you think about all of the different groups that have played a role in the development of this ordinance, as well as the character and the benefit of this ordinance, there's a lot of people involved. And so we've been patient, but yet it has been a very robust process. Tovar?

12:31 Thank you, Mayor. I agree with that. I think, you know, one of the things, one of the hallmarks of this administration is co-governance, is ensuring that people that are most impacted by pollution, people with the lived experience, have a seat at the table. And that's part of how we are overcoming historic injustices in the city, by recognizing that they exist and saying, you know what, we have to work together to resolve these issues. And so part of the process, it's lengthier than your traditional process by which we create policy because it included people.

13:06 As the mayor said, it was a very robust process. We had leadership from the impacted communities, people that worked with us on policy development, on outreach, on strategy related to the ordinance. So it takes a little bit longer, but it's worth it because we are including people in the development of the ordinance. Thank you. Yeah, hi, Mayor. You promised on election night to be a mayor for all of Chicago, but some of your critics and your potential rivals say you're too much of an ideologue.

13:39 And I just want to get your reaction to a statement from Alderman Hopkins. He said he truly believes in an ideological model not only for government but for society as a whole. It's a far-left Marxist ideology. He is devoted to his values, and if it costs him his job, he's okay with it. What's your question? I just wanted to get your reaction to that statement and that sentiment. Well, you know, I have been a mayor for all of Chicago because that reflects my values.

14:11 That's not an ideology. That's called being a humanitarian. You know, when we're building affordable homes for all of Chicago, that's me showing up for everyone. Green social housing. We're talking about neighborhoods where gentrification, particularly in parts of the northwest side of Chicago, and the southwest and southeast sides of Chicago, where gentrification has caused incredible displacement.

14:43 It's going to help all of Chicago. We have a teacher's contract that 97% of those educators ratify that contract. 50% of their membership, I believe, are white. So you have brown, black, and white members who teach in every single corner of the city that will benefit from the $300 million investment that we made with the largest TIF surplus in the history of Chicago. That's helping everyone.

15:16 Filing crime is down in the entire city of Chicago because we're making investments everywhere. We've restored three mental health clinics that were closed. in three different sections of the city. We've expanded our care program, crisis assistance response engagement in every single section of the city. I've been able to travel all over the city of Chicago making sure that we're investing in people.

15:50 And I'm very proud of that record. Now look, if people want to score political points because I just happen to have a big heart for all of Chicago, But yet perhaps they want to ignore the fact that, you know, we've delivered shelters and multiple wards. We cut the ribbon on one in the 40th Ward, the 49th Ward. We're going to do more all over the city of Chicago. Let's take our pay time off ordinance.

16:20 It's 1.1 million workers. Pay time off. It's for every single worker abolishing the subminimum wage. for workers, primarily women, women of color. You know, people were concerned about robberies a year ago. We put together a task force. Robberies are down all over the city of Chicago. Like, I know there are other questions here, but I'm just getting started here. 79 West Monroe, where is that?

16:51 Downtown. Brand new project. The Cut the Tape initiative that's allowing us to expedite the process where development can happen all over the city of Chicago. Our investments in the airport, the airline agreement there. You know, this notion that somehow we're not showing up for everybody in the city of Chicago. You know, you think about the 29,000 young people who have summer jobs. One of the most diverse administrations in the history of Chicago.

17:25 You know, so I'm very proud of our collective work, of all of our investments, that is causing us to have a better, stronger, much safer Chicago. Hello, Mayor. Hey. I wanted to talk about the environmental piece of this a little bit because I think people have been hearing talk about environmental racism and the kinds of things that protections that need to be put into place.

17:59 Right now there are environmental impact statements that are required. There are permits that have been denied and some that have been allowed. what is the starkest difference between what we have now and what we would have under this that people would be able to see where they can say, okay, finally, this is happening. Thank you for that question. You're on a roll this week, Craig. Sure. So when you think about the cumulative impacts ordinance, the important thing to understand is that we need to think about the cumulative burden of pollution.

18:34 So we can no longer just narrowly think about air quality or traffic impacts, but we need to think more comprehensively. So thinking about the combined health, environmental, and social stressors. So the main difference in this ordinance, the proposal is to replace what is required now, which is an air impact study that goes to CDPH, as well as a traffic impact study that goes to CDAN. This requires all of the departments, DPD, DOE, CDPH, and CDOT, to review a cumulative impact study

19:12 so that everybody is understanding the cumulative burdens of pollution, the potential impacts that could arise, and to work together to think about how to mitigate and address those potential impacts. Thank you. And my other question is sort of a coda to the January 6th debate. And that was a couple of the alders asked, you know, where do you draw the line on forgiveness, on, you know, grace or whatever?

19:45 Does this ordinance, in fact, draw that line? Well, certainly in the aspect of, you know, these, you know, individuals that, you know, really made it very clear that. that they did not want to accept the results of the election. And, look, I've been very clear before the January Sixers that we've been headed in a direction where there are individuals who have not accepted the results of the Civil War, right? It's very clear.

20:15 At one point, I think folks may have taken my statements as hyperbolic, but it's very evident that there's a concerted effort from this administration to do more than just roll back the hands of time, that they are more interested in protecting insurrectionists than working people, right? You know, and I pride myself off of being, you know, one of, if not the most pro-worker mayor in America.

20:45 I forgot to mention to your other colleague's question about how my ideology, however you want to characterize it, it led to raises for our police officers. that are all over our city, right? And police officers were attacked on that day. You know, so, you know, I do believe as a city, we do have to draw the line, though. We have to set a standard for how we work to continue to do the things that are necessary to make sure that our democracy continues to evolve. And that's the beauty of Chicago, because, again, the vibrancy

21:19 of our city is really determined by the diversity of our city. And here's what I've always said from the very beginning, that people should not win at the expense of other people losing. And what we saw on January 6th and what we continue to see from this administration, that they are more interested in setting up winners and losers and those who continue to lose are those who have been pushed and forced into the margins for generations. So I'm grateful that this body took this issue on and will continue to be a shining example for the rest of the world.

21:52 Hi, Mayor. My colleague Chip Mitchell reported today that Chicago robbery numbers are down to historic lows after three years of increases, and the police department has credited their robbery task force as one factor in that drop. Can you share how many officers are assigned to that task force, and do you see that task force continuing now that it's achieved at least one major accomplishment or should resources be allocated elsewhere well let me just say first of all i you know when the robberies had had escalated the superintendent and i sat down and

22:25 we spoke you know about this particular task force and i don't believe we've even reached a year of this task force yet i think we're coming up on it right and we sat down we talked about how we would roll it out and who would be involved i'll have to get the specifics of what that entire our task force encompasses in terms of how many officers and how much technology is dedicated to it, but it was a very concerted effort to make sure that we were working in a very strategic, targeted way. One of the things that I know that has helped is, and this is the correlation,

22:57 the connection between what full force of government means, when you also have a task force that is embedded within our government and our city where we can respond specifically to mental health crises. It frees up officers to be able to have that type of concentrated effort. And so we've done that. We've also worked in coordination with our businesses as well as our community, community residents, to continue to build trust between law enforcement and the community.

23:30 So it's a collective response to these issues. You know, as far as, again, I guess the subtext of your question about task force moving forward, you know, look, it's not just policing alone, right? And I'm grateful that the hardworking women and men of our police department are showing up every single day and in many instances very, you know, arduous and extreme circumstances, particularly in neighborhoods where poverty has been the prevailing form of existence for decades.

24:02 And that's why the full response has to be, again, mental and behavioral health, technology, law enforcement or businesses, the full force of government to create job opportunities for people, that it's not just one particular entity that takes on the responsibility of building a better, stronger, safer Chicago. What you're seeing now, under my leadership, is that there's a coalescing of government. More people are very excited and far more active to give their input, and that's a good thing.

24:33 And I believe that's why we're not just with robberies. Again, homicides are down. Shootings are down. Shooting victims are down. Vehicular hijackings are down. All of the investments that we are making, as investments go up, violence continues to go down. Now, don't get me wrong, I'll end with this. We have a long way to go. There's still much more work to be done. And to the families, of course, that have been subjected to that form of violence, my heart grieves.

25:07 I get the situation report every single morning and what happened the night before. It's very traumatizing for families to have to experience that type of violence. And so that's why we have to be committed to not just driving the numbers down and create more opportunities. We also have to make sure that we work to heal together, and that's what we're doing. On Alderperson Hopkins' new curfew ordinance, how in your eyes is that proposal different from the department's ability to issue dispersal orders? And is a SNAP curfew, you know, allowing for SNAP curfew something that the superintendent has asked specifically for to you?

25:45 Well, look, first of all, it's a very sophisticated question. And it is, because there's so many different elements involved here that we have to be very thoughtful about. Here's what we're ultimately working towards, is what my vision is. It's accountability and opportunity. That's all we want. People have a right to feel safe in their own communities. Look, I shared this the other day ago. These incidences don't just occur in certain sections of the city.

26:17 I can tell you whether it gets reported, you know, or not. I know what it's like on the west side of Chicago where you have a gathering and a party or something and then it spills out into the streets and other folks get invited and, you know, it could be real disruptive, you know, for your block. And then people start playing music and cars. I mean, it could be very intimidating. What my vision is is to, first of all, you can't just divert the issue somewhere else. That's not who we are as a city. You know, we're a committed city to making sure that every single neighborhood is safe.

26:52 As far as this particular, you know, proposal, it's again, it's why we have not made any declarative decision. Look, we started off with just a curfew. Now the conversation has evolved into something else because that's what democracy requires in this moment. This is not an ideological position. This is just simply common sense. So we're going to continue to work together to find a pathway that ensures that residents are safe, that young people are safe, that all of our communities are safe, and that we're doing it in a way that doesn't violate or disrupt the sensibility of our democracy.

27:26 Do you think that snap curfews are different or more beneficial than dispersal orders and how so? Look, I'm not going to opine on whether or not a particular measure has one benefit or the other. What I'm simply saying is that we're all coming together to solve it. Your Honor. First of all, it is so hard to not just giggle when you get the mic. You're the best, though. Thank you for being here today. Truly my pleasure. Off of the January 6th ordinance, Alderman Villegas spoke to the dangers of whitewashing

28:01 or losing the thread in the narrative of what it is that happened that day. And while Alderman Sposado didn't go so far as to say they were sightseers, he did seem to imply there was nothing inherently unpatriotic about the people who, what is colloquially known as storming the Capitol. What do you make of his version of events that day, and will you take him up on his offer to imbibe and pop and enjoy candy in his office? Well, first of all, Alderman Sposato is one of the kindest individuals that you're going to meet.

28:32 You know, look, we do have, you know, different ideological frames, but I do believe that we share values in terms of showing up for working people. You know, look, but I think in this instance, you know, to characterize these individuals, these January Sixers, to characterize them as anything other than insurrectionists, that would be incredibly dismissive and harmful to the sensibility of what people experienced that day.

29:09 These individuals did not accept the results of the election. And here's what we have to keep in mind. The President of the United States has been not only brought up on charges, but has been declared to be responsible for many of the things in which the January Sixers did. So you had an entire judicial system that recognized the error as well as the harm and the illegal behavior of this president.

29:52 As a social studies teacher, here's what I do know. Telling the truth about our history in this country doesn't make us weaker. It makes us stronger. But unfortunately, we have weak and insecure individuals who cannot live up to that expectation. So they want to bring the rest of us down to this lowly, broken space of insecurity.

30:22 Our country is stronger because we're able to tell the truth about the sins of the past and how we make sure that we don't repeat them moving forward. That's why we've restored the environment department. It's why we're investing in public education. It's why we're building more housing. Think about the history of this city. What if people didn't know some of the malfeasance that existed prior to me arriving? Then you all wouldn't have anybody to compare me to. You wouldn't have a standard in which you can actually measure

30:54 whether or not we're actually being effective and true to our words. So, you know, I think that the spirit behind what the sponsors brought forward was necessary in this moment, particularly at a time when, you know, truth is more liberating than people want to admit. But I'm confident that because we are being very honest and forthright on this particular matter, it does make for a stronger society. Thank you.

31:24 And a slight gear shift. Can I get a precise position from your administration on the past tense of the word strike as into strike from the record? So let me know you weren't an English teacher. So I was stuck between struck and stricken. So, look, here's what I'm just going to say, that the parliamentary elements of city council, particularly the ones today, probably one of the most fascinating experiences that I've had. but let's just say strike or stricken but someone can strike out or they could be struck by something

32:09 this is why you're going to be banned from the next press conference i love you thank you for that good afternoon mayor good afternoon um last summer you said that arbitrary curfews do not yield favorable results. Now we could see more teen curfews under the discretion of CPD brass under Alderman Hopkins' new proposal. If you do decide to sign off or stay neutral on this ordinance, how do you explain what looks like a shift in thinking? Well, there's a lot of presumption there, right? This is an ongoing conversation. I still have not seen, you know,

32:43 studies where placing a curfew in one section of a region or city yields the type of results that we want right what we want we want all of our communities to be safe we want our young people to be safe there's not a mayor that is more committed to keeping young people safe than me you know I think about just my own children right and particularly my oldest as he prepares to you know to to be more independent. And the young people that we work with every single day, they'll tell you

33:18 they don't want their lives disrupted, interrupted, or put in harm's way because other young people don't have the level of accountability that's required. And so this is really about a more robust conversation. Nothing has been determined. And so we're going to continue to make sure that all stakeholders are at the table to have a conversation about accountability and opportunity. But most importantly, how do we come together as a city to respond to an issue that really requires all of us to participate and that we can't just work on how to secure one particular section of the city?

33:51 We have to do that for everyone. And I'm committed to that work. Senator Durbin is currently weighing his reelection plans. Do you think he should run for office? Are you asking if I'm running for a United States Senate? No, Senator Durbin. If he doesn't run, I'm not running for a United States Senate. Do you think he should run again for office, or do you think it's time for a younger generation to throw their hats in the ring? Look, Senator Durbin, first of all, I think is just one of the most remarkable public servants, not just in our state, but our country's history. I mean, his trajectory, you know, is a great example of why it's important that we get involved young

34:29 because he was a generational shift as well. That's a personal decision that he has to make. I've enjoyed working with him as mayor of Chicago, as a county board commissioner, as an organizer, as an educator. He and his wife have been a tremendous support to me personally, and the way he has stood up for this country, his record is second to none. But that is a personal decision that he gets to make, and if he decides to run again, he'll have.

35:00 All the support that he has enjoyed over the course of his career, and if he decides that he's, you know, willing to move in a different direction, that is very private and personal, and I'll respect that decision. Good afternoon. Get it together on this $500,000.

35:31 Yeah, so. So, well, you know, as I've said before, and this actually is associated with how the cumulative impact ordinance has come about, there are a lot of people involved in this. My administration has worked hard to bring people together. The Black Caucus and other community-based organizations, we've established the framework, which is essentially ready to go in terms of advisory and appointments, et cetera, et cetera.

36:04 But, you know, part of the, I want to use the right word here, part of the extension of time that has occurred really is related to the number of entities and people that are involved here. Look, if it were just me, you know, some of these things probably would move a lot faster. But it doesn't mean necessarily if it was just me that that would be the appropriate approach. So this is about getting it right. What's that? Has the spending begun yet?

36:35 No spending yet. Okay. So speaking of the Johnson Cumulative Impact Ordinance, what is going to or what component would there be to have a broad cross-section of the community, not an elite part of the community, but a broad cross-section of the community to weigh in. For example, you've got a triangle, what we call a triangle of environmental racism in East Morgan Park

37:08 with that 114th and Halsted site that you all were going to put illegal immigrants in. You've got a former tire kicker's facility that is supposed to be rumored to be situated for a scrap metal yard. And then finally, you've got the old industrial development on 120th and Morgan, which is so toxic that they have to dig 15, oh, they said they have to dig 15 feet under to mitigate that.

37:46 No, thank you for that question. I'm going to pass it over to our commissioner, but I will just say I believe that I speak with a great deal of confidence that the people in the room who have been advocating for environmental justice, I could comfortably say that no one in this room would be considered elite. I would comfortably say that, but in terms of how we show up, not just about those particular sites, but to make sure that there's a broad spectrum of engagement, I'll pass it over to our commissioner.

38:27 Thank you, Mayor, and thank you for that question. one of the unique elements of the Cumulative Impacts Ordinance is the establishment of an Environmental Justice Advisory Board. And that is important because we want to formalize the engagement, particularly with people that are most impacted by pollution throughout the city of Chicago. So the requirements for the EJ Advisory Board in terms of what they are going to do, They will continue to ensure that the city is making progress on our environmental justice action plan.

39:03 They will also review and provide recommendations throughout the zoning process. And then finally, they will partner with city and sister agencies to ensure that we can advance a robust environmental justice agenda. In terms of, you know, an engagement process within the zoning process, we are building off of an existing requirement. So in addition to having an EJ advisory board that looks at and provides recommendation,

39:34 which is a public process that any member of the public can engage in, in addition to that, we will have a required public process by which any proposed recommendation will be posted online. In addition to that, there will also be a required community meeting for any proposed development. So the idea here is that we continue to engage people to have an open and transparent process. so that we can make mitigation in terms of the impacts that any one proposed development may bring to the city.

40:08 Thank you. Good afternoon, Mayor. Good afternoon. City Council today approved a ban banning hemp sales on the far south side of the city. We've seen this ward-by-ward approach pop up in a few places. How do you feel about this ward-by-ward approach, and is it fair to business owners who are already selling these products in these areas? Well, look, there's a couple of things that are important here. One is the safety of our young people. Some of the proposals that have been discussed from city council

40:39 and some of the folks who are pushing for more regulation have made it very clear that their regulatory proposals have been stronger than what we've seen in the past. You know, this is going to require, again, you know, ongoing conversations with all of the stakeholders to ensure that people are safe and that, you know, you know, where the products are being sold, that it ensures that, you know, revenue from, you know, the product actually benefit the communities.

41:14 So, you know, I've made it very clear that I'm, you know, open to, you know, the conversations not just at the city council level but at the state level as well to ensure maximum safety, but also to the point that I believe that you're raised to your question, that businesses that are involved in the selling of hemp in a variety of ways, that those businesses do not get unfairly targeted. We heard news this week that Riot Fest is coming back to Douglas Park for the next at least three years. This has been a somewhat contentious issue on the west side.

41:45 Do you believe that holding this festival in Douglas Park is good for neighbors in North Lawndale? Well, here's what I believe is that there is a necessary engagement that has to be ongoing. And our general superintendent, Carlos Ramirez Rosa, has made a commitment to engaging the community because there are a variety of views of whether or not this particular fest benefits the community. I just know that what we've always expressed, that everyone's voice has to be included in that process,

42:24 and we have to be nimble enough to adjust our festivals or any other decision that we make to ensure that, you know, whatever unintended consequence that may manifest a result, that we're addressing it. But, you know, again, many of the benefits that the community has asked for have arrived in this agreement, and it will be an ongoing discussion, as you know, as, you know, neighborhoods want attraction, right,

42:58 for businesses and people to come and spend money. But they also don't want to be in a situation where that neighborhood benefit doesn't quite weigh the cost of having such activity. But the three years that are there, I'm confident that our general superintendent will keep people engaged and informed. Hey, Mayor. Hey. What does it say that some allies like Alderwoman Dow voted against green social housing today? And why the big rush? Why did you make such a big effort to pass it today as opposed to waiting a few weeks?

43:29 Well, look, if anyone decides that they are going to be supportive or something or not, it just means that they either agree with it or they don't. You know, like, look, you know, this city perhaps have gotten so accustomed to dictatorship that somehow if someone who supports my administration disagrees with the particular policy element, that's a sign that I'm truly a collaborator. That's what it says. You know, look, you know, the way President Trump has approached his leadership style, I can tell you his Republican counterparts, whether they're his official allies or not, they're afraid of him and they're intimidated by him.

44:18 I'm not a scary guy. I'm a loving person. So what it says is that I can have people in my space who say, look, we believe in your vision for building more affordable homes, but there might be a technical difference on something else. I mean, in terms of the rush, you know, this has been an ongoing platform initiative well before I was mayor of the city of Chicago. Here's the real thing, though. Let me just get at it.

44:48 The people of Chicago who need affordable rent and affordable housing, they're going to need it sooner than later. Let me slow down since you're the last question. I've made a commitment to repopulate the city of Chicago with working people. And I've also made a commitment to make sure that the people who love this city don't get priced out. That's the goal here. Now, of course, I would like to see things move faster.

45:19 Now, some people say last year I was moving too fast. And then some folks say I'm not moving fast enough. You know, it's the ongoing balance of responding to the needs of this moment. And we're doing that. We're going to continue to keep the conversation going, and we feel pretty good about our pathway to be able to deliver on a new tool that allows for affordability to be realized in neighborhoods that have not enjoyed that. Some of your allies DMPed the Dexter Reed settlement denial from committee today,

45:53 despite aldermen striking it down previously. How do you plan to move forward on that settlement? well so i don't it's not about how i plan on going i don't vote on those matters that's city council you know you know that question might be more appropriate for the for for city council but i'll indulge it's okay here's what we know what we know is that there are a number of people who understand that the way the entire engagement took place, there were real

46:28 concerns about, you know, the pre-contextual engagements of law enforcement and whether or not that particular engagement was properly handled. I think for me and my administration, we want to make sure that more broadly, we want to make sure that our law enforcement continue to move in the direction that we've been moving in, which is constitutional policing. You know, 92 percent, some compliance, 16 percent, full

47:03 compliance. It's an incredible jump. We're solving crime in the city of Chicago with more detectives and clearance rate continues to go up and violence continues to go down. So we're clearly better positioned than we've been probably ever in this city. So my commitment, you know, just on a more broader basis to make sure that law enforcement does everything that it has to continue to do to maintain trust, keep trust, and to build trust within communities. Is your administration still trying to pass the Dexter Reed settlement?

47:35 Again, that is not my proposal. A settlement in all settlements, I'm trying to answer this the right way. My administration, we don't put for settlements. We don't do that, right? These are recommendations that come from the corporate council based upon the evidence that's there. And the city council ultimately makes a decision on whether or not that settlement should be recommended. Thank you all very much.

Sources and methods: how we get and count this data · report an error